Improvement in wind-wheels



O. H. ST. CLAIR. WIND WHEEL.

No. 104,918. Patented June 28, 1870.

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CHARLES H. ST. CLAIR, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

Letters Patent Zi'o.' 104,9l8, dated June 28, 1870;

IMPROVEMENT IN WIND-WHEELS.

The-Schedule te fen'edto in these Letters Patent and making part'of the same.

clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereofi'referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing of the same, which makes part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents a View, in perspective, ofa windwheel, embracing my improvements.-

Figure 2 represents a vertical section, taken through the axis of the wheel-shaft.

It often occurs, in driving'mills, pumps, 850., by wind-power, that the force of the wind is not sufficient to overcome the resistance of the machinery to revolve the wind-wheel.

It is the object of my improvement to remedy this difficulty; and

It consists in; encircling the wings of the wheel with a flaring rim, projecting in front thereof'a sufficient distance to gather and concentrate'the wind directly upon the wings, and prevc'ntits escape'over the ends thereof, in connection with oblique buckets, arranged on the inner side of the flaring rim, so as to catch the wind concentrated by the latter, and direct it obliquely against the surface of said wings, in such manner as to form an auxiliary circumferential wind-wheel in advance of the radial wings, whereby the force of the wind concentrated by the rim and its buckets can only escape from the wheel through the openings between the wings, and thus cause the wheel to be revolved by a less force of wind than it otherwise woulih My improvement also consists in securing the centering and carrying-plate of the wind-wheel shaft to a doublerfianged casting, by arranging the anti-friction rollers between the said flanges,-in suchmanner as to support the centering turning-plate thereon, and also serve as the means of securing it. in position, and allowing it full freedom to turn and becontrolled by the action of its wind-vane.

It will be seen,-therefore, that the rollers serve the two purposes of supporting the carrying-plate upon the lower and locking it between the upper flange of the centering base-plate, and this arrangement, while being cheap, is also durable,'and allows the carrying.- plate to turn with little friction.

In the accompanying drawing- .A represents the frame, upon which the several parts of the mill are arranged and'supported.

A vertical casting, B, issecured to the top of this frame, and forms the base, upon which the wind-wheel is mounted.

It is constructed with an upper, a, and a lower flange, b, so as to leave .an annular space between them, for a purpose to he presently described.

Upon this base the carrying-plate of the wind-wheel is Slll'iPOltGtl and centered, so as to prevent it touching the upper ilangc aof the base; and the shaft D of the wind-whcel is fittedin bearings (l thereon, and carries, at one end, the winged wheel, and at the other a balance-wheel, E.

The wings 1* are secured to radial arms, G, attached to a hub, II, so that their inclination may be adjusted and set as dcsiredyand the vane I, for keeping the wheel always to the wind, is secured to the carryingplate K by a yoke fi-amc, L, as shown in, fig. 1 of the drawing.

The carrying-plate has an annular opening, M, and the upper side of the base B is fitted with four verti cal anti-friction rollers, 0, arranged at equal distances from the center, for the purpose of maintaining the .as to form a continuation of the wings of'the wheel,

and constitutes an auxiliary annular wheel surrounding the oblique wings. As'the wind strikes the oblique buckets I, they act in connection with the inner flar ing face of the rim N, and deflect it, in two directions, directly upon the face of the wings, and they, therefore, act in conjunction to obtain a double action of the wind, so that the-wheel must be turned with a much less force of wind than would be required to turn a wheelhaving only radial wings.

The rim N should not project enough to cause the wind against its outer side to interfere with the action of the vane, audits flaring position assists in producingjthis result.

The wings of the wheel are secured to the hub and rim in any suitable manner that will allow them to beadjusted to vary their inclination.

The mill, thus. constructed, is arranged to work a pump, Q, the connecting-rod R of which is attached to the sucker-rod S by a swiveling or universal joint, '1, audits vertical movement obtained by an eccentric, U, on the wheel-shaft, so that the connecting-rod It will revolve with-the turning of the carrying-plate without interfering with theworking of the pump.

A brake may may be applied to the shaft 1) or ill.

of preventing the too once-wheel, in any suitable manner,for the purpose great velocity of the wheel when thewind is high.

Having thusldescribed my improvements,

1. The'inclosing-1 im N, with its oblique buckets or wings P, in combination with the wind-wings F, subfsit-atintially as herein shown, and for the purposes speci- 2. The arrangement of the auxiliary oblique buckets 1 at'theouter ends of the wings F, in such manner as to form, in.connection with the flaring rim N, a continuation at the side and end of each wing F, as

herein shown, and for the purpose specified.

3. The base B, having an upper and a lower annular flange, a and b, and the supporting-rollers of the carrying-plate K, arranged between these flanges, supporting the carrying-plate upon the lower, and looking it in position by the upper flange, as herein shown and described.

4. The combination of a wind-wheel, constructed as described, with the centering and carrying-plate K,

"the wind-vane I,'the double -flanged base B, and the supporting and locking-rollers, the several parts being constructed, arranged, and operating as herein shown and described. I

CHARLES H. ST. CLAIR. Witnesses:

WALTER W. J omvsox, J OED T. ST. CLAIR. 

